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Today we meet at the Tibetan Medical & Astro Institute Museum and receive a brief tour from Dr. Kalsang Youdon and Kelsang Chodon.
Time notes:
00:00:46 Tibetan medicines and instruments
00:06:17 Tibetan medicine paintings
00:09:16 History of the re-established Men-Tsee-Khang Institute
00:11:23 Astrology: Indigenous Tibetan, elemental, and Kala Chakra astrology.
“The museum’s main aim is to preserve the Tibetan medical system which houses paintings, photographs, as well as museum is to preserve the profound Tibetan medical system. This museum encompasses old and new paintings, plant paintings, plant photographs as well as information related to origination and contents of Tibetan medicine and astro-science. It also displays various instruments related to these two sciences and numerous samples of herbs, plants, woods, rocks, salts, minerals, gems and precious minerals.” -Museum website
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Men-Tsee-Khang Institute
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ROUGH TRANSCRIPT
Please excuse all errors
Olivia: [00:00:00] I’m Olivia Clementine and this is Love and Liberation. Today we will go on a tour of the Tibetan Medical and Astro Institute Museum in Dharamsala, India. We will see paintings, artifacts. and instruments for Tibetan medicine and astrology. Thank you to our guides in today’s tour, Dr. Kalsang Youdon and Kelsang Chodon.
Kalsang: So, I’m Dr. Kalsang Youdon and so, I was graduated from here, in this college, I learnt my, uh, doctor training here in Men-Tsee-Khang,
Firstly, here, this museum is [00:01:00] about Tibetan medicine and astrology, So, I will explain to you uh, displays about the Tibetan medicine. So, firstly, the most important display here is the fundamental text. We call it Gyushi, which was written in the 8th century, By our lineage called Yuthok Yonten Gonpo there are many different commentaries which we displayed here because it’s all in a stanza form which we have to memorize normally during our training. So to become a Tibetan doctor we have to study this for uh, 6 years and around 7 8 months after 12th class.
Then we have to give orally examination yearly in the annual exam. And then here are the displays all our ingredients. Okay. So Tibetan medicine are mainly made by the combination of the different herbs which grow in high altitude and then also some minerals as well.
So from those herbs in Men-Tsee-Khang, we are producing around 175 different medicine and around 60 [00:02:00] different herbal products like shampoo, oil, massage oil, different uh, lotion, health tonics, many things. And then you know, we have, uh, displayed some medicinal paintings, which was developed later in the 17th century, during the 5th Dalai Lama.
So, we have total 80 thangka paintings. So 79 are all about the 156 chapters contained in the fundamental text. So later this all developed mainly for the students and interest people to learn easily through the paintings. And then next display is the um, external therapy instrument. Like copper cupping, gold hammer, silver hammer, and different hammers, and then gold needle, and then this is for the nasal treatment to inhale the medicine smell, and this is for the venetation blades, which no more using now, we are using the modern style. small [00:03:00] blades, okay?
And then in the old centuries, even doctors used to do some minor surgeries. So this is for the pile surgery instruments, yeah.
So this all have to, apply for the patients after knowing their favorable date, which was, uh, which will checked by the astrologers. We never do immediately this therapy. So Firstly, we have to. Uh, take their, date of birth, and then, um, um, by astrologers, they will check the, what is the favorable date for the each different therapies, okay. Normally, as a Tibetan doctor, we will treat the disease through many by giving dietary advice and behavior advice, which is, which are many. main causes of the disease.
And then thirdly, prescribed medicine. Fourthly, sometimes, we have to do the external therapies, like then. What we displayed here. the surgeries, the minor surgeries we are not doing as of now. Yeah.
Olivia: Do you still, Does [00:04:00] anyone still do golden needle therapy in, in Dharamsala? Yeah, yeah.
Kalsang: Yeah, yeah. In our clinic, yeah.
Your clinic? Yeah, yeah. Yes, golden needle therapy is a very, traditional special therapy which have only one point in body, that is the crown of the head, and then the, this is mainly applied for the, uh, vertical dizziness, epilepsy, facial paralysis, and then, uh, migraine headache, and all the neurological, disorders. .
we have same institution in Tibet called Lhasa Men-Tsee-Khang, which was founded by 13th Dalai Lama. During that time, even neighbor countries used to go to Tibet to learn Tibetan medicine. So this is the medical degree from Mr.
Sundar Singh. He was a famous doctor in around Manali region. And he was passed away around 1980. And he was graduated from Lhasa Men-Tsee-Khang. And then this is the medical certificate. He was graduated in 1955. This is a proof that Tibet was an independent [00:05:00] country during that time.
After all, after all using herbs and minerals, these all are the final products, medicines. These all people, um, don’t have to wait till they got sick, they can simply take for the prevention of any kind of disease, . These are mainly made by herbs. Why we are using the ingredients as a herbal to treat the disease is in the fundamental text.
It was written like, uh, our human body is mainly formed by the assembly of the five physical cosmo elements, and then when we got sick, there’s necessary quantity in our body, but when we got sick because of wrong dietary, wrong behavior, and then influence from weather changes, then there’s, uh, imbalanced energy in the body,
to treat this kind of, uh, imbalance in the body, then we treat, use the natural herbs. Because those herbs outside, those are also growth by the assembly of the kind of like similar elements. So we’re using natural herbs to [00:06:00] balance energy. That’s why from Tibetan medicine, you won’t get a negative side effects.
So these people can also take for the prevention of any disease and then also, of course, for treatment. Yeah.
So, these all are the important, uh, paintings, this is the, about the first chapter of the fourth, uh, tantra, About the gyushi, the fundamental text.
The center one is Medicine Buddha, and all around are all the ingredients, Yeah, just shortly. So this illustrated about human body in the healthy state and disease, In healthy state, we mainly talk about three humors, three Nyepa, which is loong, tripa, and baekan. We categorize into five different loong, tripa, and baekan, When this all in balance energy, we are healthy, which developed a – in body constituent and three excretion. And then there’s two flower, which is longevity and happiness. this is about disease which [00:07:00] associated with heart disorder or cold disorder.
Energy. This is about how Tibetan doctors diagnosed the disease. There’s three ways visually examination by doing pulse analysis and interrogation. And individually examination is condensed tongue analysis, like, and then the urine analysis. And then by looking at the body and all. Yeah. And then second one’s pulse analysis, which have, uh, which is very vast – as in that chapter.
And then last one is about asking questions, interrogation, Yeah, and then this is about the treatment as I explained to you downstairs. It’s about the dietary advice, behavior advice, and then prescribed medicine and by doing the therapies.
The second chapter of explanatory tantra is about -. So we talk about the, how babies are developed week by week. And then the, how the fundamental things [00:08:00] are babies, consciousness, the good quality of eggs, semen, and then assembly of the elements at hold you down still.
Right. So the human body, then this all the The stages, week by week, and then there’s all the three major stages, uh, fish, tortoise, and pig, and then there’s all the how give birth, and from even mothers caring how we know the general, the fetal, yeah, which we not tell in India. Okay? Yeah. Thank you. That’s all.
Thank you.
Kelsang: My name is Kelsang I work here now, it’s um, uh, around 11 years going on. I’m working here as a curator. And I work in this institute since now it’s 26 years running, yeah. I’m the now most senior, very old now, is ready to go to retirement, you know, but even I’m very happy to work here and Men-Tsee-Khang is very, very helpful to us and it [00:09:00] started in a very difficult time .
So we are so proud that to show all this, our culture to the rest of the world also. So these are the, uh, these are happened because of the hard work of our ancestors and blessing of our His Holiness Dalai Lama.
You can see how, is a re established in 1961. So in 1961 in McLeod Ganj, in one building they have used as a clinic, as a pharmacy, as a inpatient ward, everything in this. So these are in all development. And these are the, uh, these two are the first medical teacher and astrological teacher in this institute. Dr.
Yeshi Dhonden and professor Lodoe Gyatso, also a very, uh, expert on Kala Chakra Tantra, I said, you know, like, and these two are the private physician, senior physician of the, his own is the 13th as the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Chodron and Lobsang Wangela. And these are all, you know, uh, very, uh, famous doctors.
he was an [00:10:00] astrological, uh, teacher Bashi was a very good teacher of this Institute in the 1960s, expert in grammars and all the medicine, astrology, everything,
so during those times, you can see how the medicines appeared, you know, and then these are the old detoxifications of those minerals and precious stones, you know, and now it’s collaborating with the modern technologies here. Even today, all this drying in the natural sun, uh, you know, still, uh, we have preserved, you know.
And now it has, you know, uh, Men-Tsee-Khang is an, you know, like a, uh, educational cultural and charitable institute. And that all medical, uh, those who wants to become a Tibetan doctor, Tibetan doctor, they come here and learn here. This is, uh, this is the, um, institute, very important institute, which, uh, established by His Holiness the Dalai Lama himself in 1961.
So this is the astrology sections, you know. So, Tibetan astrology is the consolidations of the [00:11:00] indigenous Tibetan astrology, and elemental astrology, and Kalachakra astrology.
These three systems practicing together. You know, this indigenous Tibetan astrology. Uh, it’s flourished, it’s more propagated during the first king of Tibet, Nyatri Tsenpo, in 127 B. C. And then elemental astrology which was, uh, flourished from China to Tibet in, uh, in the 7th century. This is the lineage of the elemental astrology here.
This is the main Manjushri you can see. And then in the top you can see the Gongzhou, who is the queen of Tibet, the king of Tibet.
This is that. And then we have this Kala Chakra system. These two are the Indian system here. These two Kala Chakra systems, you know. So this is the lineage of the Kala Chakra system then that this is the – in Sanskrit. It’s called -, who was the first dharma king of Shambhala who, who requested to Buddha Shakyamuni to teach [00:12:00] on the Kala chakra.
And its teaching was held, uh, held in South India and Pradesh in 881 bc. So he, after receiving this, uh, teaching and he took this, this teaching to the Shambhala and you can see these are the old Shambhala king in the top. These are the old Shambhala king, eight Shambhala king and then 25 Kaluga king, these are.
And you can see that these are the old founder of the Kala Chakra or, yeah. These are the old Shambhala king and Kaluga king of Shambhala. It’s related with the Kala Chakra Tantra. So Tibetan astrology is also the part of the Tibetan Kala Chakra also. so here now you can see these are the some, um, texts, you know.
This is the White Beryl which is written by the Desi Sangay Gyatso, who was the regent of His Holiness the Fifth Dalai Lama. Even today all the [00:13:00] researchers, all the scholars are referring to this text. So he wrote very important texts on Tibetan medicine and Tibetan astrology. One is Blue Beryl, which was the commentary on the main Gyushi, you know.
And this is the Blue Beryl and White Beryl about astrology. And this is the Tibetan Astrology Calculation Board here. So each student has to practice this calculation board, even today also, you know. This is eco friend also, you know, eco friend so that, you know, no more paper is wasted, you know. And this is a calculation, when they use this calculation board, they get very fast and very precise answer.
And with the help of this, uh, calculation board, each student bring out this one almanac. And the astrological students, you know, they have to study for five years and one year internship. So same duration like a doctor’s, you know. So we have two colleges, one based in here, one based in Bangalore, [00:14:00] yeah. And this is called the Thurma.
This is called Thurma in ancient time when there’s no watch and where people are using to measurement of the time. Yeah. This is called the – Chakra. So each box has different, different calculations.
So this is used for the many human requirements, you know, uh, To pacify, to enrich, you
these are called the – for the different calculations. All are hand painted, you know, in Tibet, you know, all these are hand painted.
So now you will, uh, you will find all this Gyushi and, uh, – all in the book form.
So that student can, you know, easily they use, you know, say, and not only this, um, medicine and astro team within Tibetan community, but we also give opportunity to the rest of the world also. So what has to be very good in Tibetan language, Tibetan [00:15:00] understanding, reading, writing, you know, if they are wanted to become a Tibetan doctor, Tibetan astro, they can come and learn Tibetan medicines and astrology.
so these are the five colors, uh, amulet which is based on individual date of birth. Astrologer will prepare this special amulet and you will find special amulet for health, special amulet for wealth, special amulet for wealth, and health and life force and all purposes. And this one is based on your animal sign and your element according to calculation then astrologer will prepare this.
These two are like a model of the universe. It shows the formation of the satellite part, constellations, zodiacs. And here you can see, every phenomenon is based on the element, you can see these are the five colored mandalas. These are the five cosmic elements.
And this all rings and all the, this is the path of the, uh, settler and star, [00:16:00] stars and planet. And inside is the, you will find the Mount, Mount Viru and seven seas, seven mountains, seven rivers this one is like, these two are based on, you know, Kala Chakra system.
And this is called the Wheel of the Protection Thangka, which is very, very, uh, useful in our Tibetan community here. So this wheel of the protections, according to the elementary actually, it’s the designed to neutralize the – planet and stars, you know, and top one, top these three dieties you can see.
Middle one is the Manjushri is the diety of wisdom. This one is Avalokiteshvara diety of compassion and diety of power Vajrapani.. And these are the old certain stamp by the certain god, the deities, that not to harm any sentient being. And you can see these are the old nine numerical sign and twelve animal sign. And these are the old -, you know, which [00:17:00] help us to protect from the old negative energies.
And, uh, to, uh, protect from the old kinds of the obstacles also. So we use this in many occasion during the enthronement of the High Lama. Shifting the house, marriage time. and, uh, you know, um, uh, construction the house as well as most important during the funeral processions. And you can use as a prosperity and from the happiness also this one.
So, and normally, you know, we use this, most of the Tibetan door or above the door, you will find this thangka, Sipaho. This is called the Sipaho in Tibetan language. So, this kind of Canvas is very expensive, you know, and therefore we have made it easy to public to buy easily from our institute so we have printed in the, paper so that people can easily buy because this thangka is often used in our Tibetan community.
Olivia: So good to meet you.Thank you so much.
Kelsang: Nice to meet you. Thank you. [00:18:00] Thank you for listening.